Pumping engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. s; M. w. HALL.

Patented Dec. 4, 1883.

Bytlzeirlttorneys,

' PUMPING ENGINE.

WITNESSES.

N4 PEIERS, Phnlo'Lilmgl-lphar, Washington. D. C

. UNITED STATES I PATENT QFFICE.

ALBERT E. HALL AND MILAN W. HALL, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

PUMPING-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,648, dated December 4, 1883.

Application filed Soptemherli, 1883.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALBERT E. HALL and MILAN WV. HALL, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Plainfield, Union conn- 5 ty, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Direct-Acting Pumping-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates'to that class of pumping-engines wherein twin engines, the pistonrods of which are connected directly to the pump-pistons, are employed. The valves are balanced, and the valves of one engine control the parts of the adjacent engine. The stroke of the valve is coincident with that of the piston of the engine which aetuates it.

Our invention consists, chiefly, in the construetion of the valve-ports and port-passages and their relative connection and arrangement, whereby each engine so controls themovements of the other that each piston commences to move only when the other has nearly reached the end of it's stroke; and when each piston I completes its strokeit stops and remains stationary during nearly the entire stroke of the other, and until started back by the other. This long pause of the pistons allows the watervalves of the pump ample time to seat themselves before the return-stroke commences. This relative movement has been before obtained in duplex steam-pumps, but only in those having tappet-va ves, where the valve remains stationary while the piston which operates it is moving, and until the latter reaches almost the end of its stroke, when it suddenly shifts the valve. In our pump each valve moves'all the time that its actuating-piston is moving, and with a speed directly proportioned to the speed thereof. \Ve believe we are the first to accomplish this result of securing an alternate action of the pistons, with a long pause for each at the end of its stroke, in an engine wherein the valves move with their actuating-pistons and the valve of each cylinder is operated by the piston in the other cylinder. In this way we have availed ourselves of the special advantages of both types of pumping-engines, and have thus been enabled to construct an engine superior to either.

Our invention also consists in the relative in an engine of the character described, wheretion being taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 5.

arrangement of the steam ports and passages (No model.)

engines and their steam-chests, showingthe 1 outer cylinder-heads removed. Flg. 2 1s a plan of the engines with the steam-ehests removed, so as to show the ports. The port.-

passages in Figs. land 2 are indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a vertical mid-section taken in the axis of one of the engines on line 3 3 in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of a detached steam-chest as to the left half and a horizontal section as to the right half, the see- Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on line 5 5 in Fig. 4.

A A are the cylinders of the two engines, east in one piece, with the various port-pas sages cored out in the tie-piece which eonnects them.

B B are the pistons, and C C the pistonrods.

D is apart of one of thepumps. (Shown only in Fig. 3.) These pumps may be of the usual construction.

EE are the steam-chests. A description of one of these will serve for both. Through the chest is formed a cylindrical bore, one end of which may he closed by a screw-plug, a, while the other end is closed by a stalling-box, I).

F F is the valve, which comprises .two pistons mounted on a stem, 0.

chest d. These connect by a cross-passage,e, (see Fig. 1,) and with the steam-supply pipe at G. (See Fig. 2.) Thepistons of the valves never entirely close the ports d and d, and the spaces between said pistons in the chests are always open to the live steam. The live steam is never cut oil from the cylinders by the valves, and as the steam enters between the two pistons of the valve the latter is perfectly balanced. In the roof of thesteam-chest are the exhaust-ports g g,whieh connect by a passage, h, in the roof with a passage, t, Fig. 2, which leads to the main exhaust-outlet H. A similar port-passage, h, leads the exhauststeam from the other steam-chest to ll. hus

The steam-inlet or receiving-port in cylinder A and its chest is lettered d, and that in cylinder A and'its IOC 2 ceases as may be.

the exhaust port and passages in each case lead to a common outlet, H.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 1 that the exhaust-passage '0 is arranged above the livesteam passage 0, and both are or may be in the same vertical plane,j ',in cylinder A, and j j in cylinder A (see Figs. 2 and 3) are the ports through which the steam passes on its way to and from the cylinders, the former connecting by crossed passages 7c is with cylinder A and the latter by direct passages Z Z with cylinder A. These passages entertheir respective cylinders at m m and m m, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

We will now describe the operation so far WVe will suppose piston B to stand at the inner end of its stroke, as in the drawings, and steam is admitted at G. Live steam flows in'to cylinder A behind piston B, and flows into A in front of piston B,which may be at the end of its outstroke. B cannot move, but B moves to the end of its instroke, carrying with it it" valve, which is coupled directly to its piston-rod by an arm (not shown) corresponding to I in Fig. 3. WVhen the piston B reaches the end of its instroke, it and its valve will have assumed the position of piston B and valve F shown in Fig. 3. Port j in chest E will now be open to the exhaust-outlet H, and piston B will be free to move, as its receiving side is always open to the live steam, and the movement of piston B and its valve has opened its exhaust side to the exhaust-outlet H. Piston B will now stand until B has made its outstroke, when the latter will, through the medium of its valve F,open the exhaust side of B to the outlet H and allow said piston to make its outstroke. Thus the pistons move alternately, and have a long rest after each stroke, giving the pump-valves ample time to seat by gravity; and each piston is controlled wholly by its exhaust-that is to say, one side of the pistonis always open to the live steam, alternating at each movement, of course, and the movement is controlled by the opening of the exhaust on the ,Oligfislt side; Vhen the valve F is at the middle of its stroke, all three ports 01 j 3' will be between the two pistons of the valve, and for a time both sides of the piston B will be open to the live steam; but as the valve nears the end of its stroke one port j will be momentarily covered by a valve-piston, and then opened to the exhaust. Piston B is then free and instantly moves. Iiston B not having moved quite to the end of its stroke, the two pistons will, for a very brief interval, move together; but B will stop at the end of its stroke, and stand until B opens it to the exhaust.

In Fig. 3 piston B is shown as standing very close to the end of the clyinder; but in practice there is a cushion of steam between it and the cylinder-head, which will ordinarily prevent it from moving up so close. Therefore as the valve F F moves with piston B its the column of water in motion and avoid intermittent action of the pump.

As the pistons of the valve must cross the ports) in the chest, we make these ports by boring a series of holes, as best shown in Fig. 4. This construction prevents the packingrings on the valve-pistons from dropping into the port and catching, as they are liable to do where the ordinary elongated port is used.

\Ve will now explain the device for effecting a cushion of the piston on the exhauststeam, in order to prevent the piston from striking the cylinder-head, referring particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawings. WVe provide steam-cushions at each end of the stroke by setting the ports m m m m, where they open into the cylinders A A, respectively, a little back from the cylinder-heads, so that each piston shall close the exhaust just before reaching the end of its stroke. As there is no flywheel to start the piston on its return-stroke, it is necessary to provide another port, 8, closer to the cylinder-head, communicating with the steam-passage Z, to admit steam between the piston and cylinder-head to start the piston back. In order to prevent the confined cushion of steam from escaping to the exhaust through this port, a check-valve, q, is interposed between it and the passage Z, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3. This feature of our engine is reserved for the subject of a future application.

As before stated, the two engine-cylinders are cast in one piece, and each steam-chest is secured to its cylinder by four bolts, a, as shown.

Our engine is very simple in construction, all articulations being avoided, and it will start, no matter in what positions the pistons may stand relatively to each other.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. A steam pumping-engine consisting of the combination of duplex cylinders, pistons, steam-chests, and valves, a suitable connection between the valve of each cylinder and the piston of the other cylinder, substantially as described, whereby the valve moves with said piston during all the time that the latter is moving, and with a speed proportionalto the speed of the latter, and the steam-ports in the valve-chests arranged relatively to the valves and the inlet and exhaust apertures, in sub stantially the manner described, whereby each piston is started when the valve actuated by the other piston is near the end of its stroke,

and each piston, on reaching the end "-f its stroke, pauses until the other has nearly completed its stroke, as set forth.

2. A steam-engine having two cylinders, two pistons and their piston-rods, and two piston-valves, the valves having a stroke equal to the piston and actuated directly thereby, and the piston in one cylinder actuating the valve which controls the exhaust of the other cylinder, the steam ports and passages being arranged substantially as described, whereby when the engine is running the inlet-ports are always open, and the movements of the pistons are controlled wholly by the opening and closing of the exhaust, as shown and described.

3. In a steam pumping-engine having duplex cylinders, pistons, steam-chests, and valves, the valve controlling the admission of steam to each cylinder being connected directly to the cylinder-ports that one of the latter will be opened to the exhaust and the other to the inlet only near each extreme stroke of the valve, substantially as and to the effect set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT E. HALL. MILAN NV. HALL. \Vitnesses:

HENRY Comvnrr, Gno. BAINTON. 

